The Portland daily press., 1887-08-17
cossIP.AMoNc YAcHTsMEN.
How Time Allowances Should be
caIcuIated-utilizing Electricity.
New York Tribune.1 I


The question as to what forms the best ba-
sis for calculating time allowances for yachts
will probably long remain unsettled, but the
suggestion recently made by a New York
journal to tax sail ares alone seems manifest
ly absurd. 1T would be playing straight in
TO the hands Of the cutter men," said mem
Der Of the New York Club. For instance,
the Puritan's mainsail Is one-third larger
than the Genesta's. II the Puritan had had
to allow the Genesta time ON anything like
that basis, the Genesta would have won the
Americas Cup easily aud no sloop would
ever recover it while such a rule of meas
urement prevails. If one model is SO far su-
perior to another that 1t will carry a great
deal more sail it ought to get all the benefit
to be derived from its superior sail carrying
power and not be handicapped because of it.
Such rule would give narrow beam cutters
SO great an advantage that no broad beam
sloop could hope successfully to compete
with them."
John Harvey, the ''out-and-out cutter
man., said to the reporter: 81 hold Mr.. Bur-
gees IN high esteem for the manner in which
ne defended the cup with the Puritan and af
terward improved on her with the Mayfiow-
er. Delieve that few designers could have
a watson to beat the Irex with like prOpOr-
tions / stick to it that the Puritan type of
a boat is racing machine and type which
must come to an end, in fact Is fast doing so,
for from Puritan to Volunteer such a big
stride is made otherwise that any further
advance must be deemed a centre board cut
ter. When Burgess has found out how easi-
ly the still water is removed compared to
that on the surface when it is rough, he will
make his improved volunteer still less
said that it will not hurt the boat that wins
to call her racing machine, and that from
Puritan to Volunteer is not nearly so big
stride cutterwise as from Irex to Thistle is
sloOpwise.
Philip B. Low, the rigger. is of opinion
that the next improvement in big yachts will
be the introduction of steel masts and booms.
Made OF steel the masts and bOoms would
both be lighter-at least one-third-and
stronger than wooden spars," said Mr.. Low.
And weight saved in spars adds much to
the stiffness of boat, and is fer more valua-
BILE than weight saved elsewhere. / would
have the mainmast made hollow so that the
topmast when lowered can be telescoped in
to 1t, thus saving windage alsg. When boats
are evenly matched in other respects saving
by one boat of few hundred pounds in
spars and rigging will give that
boat the victory. But less weight
would not be the only thing gained
i,y by the use Of steel boom. When
"
and that disturbs the set of the mainsail, es-
pecially when, as is the custom with Ameri-
can yachts, the mainsail is laced to the
boom. The steel boom would not bend, and
the set of the mainsail, therefore would not
be interfered with. The advantage thus
gained would be quite equal to that gained
from decreased weight"
An electrician made the following interest
ing suggestion to the reporter: ~ hear that
the chief objection to these big sloops is the
number of men IL takes to manage the main
sail the PriScilla's requiring thirty-fve men
to handle 1t when it blows hard. She has
several tons Of lead slowed away In her
keel: Why couldn't some of this lead bal
last be in the shape Of electrical accumula-
tors? ton charged with electricity would
represent an effective force of several horse
power. 1t would be an easy matter to make
this work a windlass that would serve
equally well to haul up the anchor or haul in
the main sheet, and it would render unnec-
essary the use of so many men. Besides 1t
OF light at night. When the electricity is
exhausted from the accumulators they could
be recharged-say from an engine at the
club house." Doubtless there are at present
practical obstacles to the application of this
idea, but who will say that they may hot
some day be snrmounted? 1t would be odd
to have the ballast hauling up an anchor and
tugging at a rope, but science has done
stranger things than that.
Captain j: w. Walters has just invented
what he styles "a pendulum marine engine
and multitubular boiler" If it all bears out
the claims made for it, it will be peculiarly
adapted to steam yachts and launches. 1t Is
twenty-five horse power and $50 revolutions
per minute will weigh only $50 pounds and
occupy space only Is inches high, IA wide
ard feet long.